Search

We support...

Today I want to introduce you to Emma from Montessori Enterprises (www.montessorienterprises.com.uk). Montessori Enterprises stock a wide range of Montessori language materials. You can order individual items including objects, picture cards, word strips, phrase strips and sentence strips or complete sets. Including the Pink, Blue and Green Series. This makes it super easy for teachers, homeschoolers or even parents at home to find what they are looking for. Let's find out a little more from Emma!

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your Montessori journey?

Hello, I'm very pleased to meet you! My name is Emma and I run Montessori Enterprises - a Montessori language materials maker and supplier online store. My own Montessori journey started in 2006, whilst I was managing an independent educational children's store - when I got speaking to a Montessori directress who worked locally. I've always had an interest in education (and originally my dream was to be a reception teacher!) - particularly within the early years and was both inspired and intrigued by what I was hearing from her. I was invited to come and observe at her school, which I did a few days later and was absolutely blown away by what I saw! Small children completely independent in a beautiful environment, leading themselves towards their own learning with the adults acting as guides. It was unlike anything I'd been exposed to and being disillusioned previously with 'mainstream' education and the general approach of 'one size fits all', I felt like I had found my calling and for me this seemed like the most natural and logical way to educate children from birth. I begun my training a year later in 2007 with Montessori Centre International and since graduating - I have worked in a number of settings both in the UK and abroad (I have helped to set up schools in Russia as well as run a Montessori assistants course with a colleague). I run Montessori Enterprises from my home office in Walton on Thames in Surrey and currently I also work as a tutor for Montessori Centre International.

How and why did you open Montessori Enterprises? Can you share with us a little about your products and your focus on Language Materials?

Montessori Enterprises has existed for the past 20 years, previously run by my ex-tutor and fellow Montessorian Ann Jacobs, who retired last year and whom we took over from. It was important to me to keep the business going as it is so unique and for our customers and the Montessori community - it offers great (and hard to find) materials that are all in one place! I'm also very passionate about early years literacy and this particular area of the Montessori curriculum I believe, is one that teaches reading and writing in such a beautiful, hands on way that supports all types of learners.

Our range offers a wide selection of attractive and carefully sourced objects at pink and blue levels (3 letter phonetic objects to objects that include blend sounds, schwa vowels, compound words and more) as well as word cards, sentence strips, language boxes in a range of colours and later literacy materials for early grammar and more complex phonemes. Over the past year we have worked on getting the website running so that customers can buy directly from us - previously it was purely static. The website is still a work in progress and I'm always working on new ideas for literacy materials that support children's language journeys with a Montessori focus - aside from the regular range of materials that we stock and make. I continuously search for new and interesting objects to add to our offering and in the future, I hope to provide videos that support homeschoolers, parents and students as well as to add to our social media offering (currently we just have an Instagram page - you can follow us here). Very soon (watch this space!) we will be collaborating with another Montessori supplier to offer literacy products that complement our range superbly. We are very excited about the coming months! Recently, we have started to offer our printed materials in a joined up Sassoon font, which is a great indirect way to expose children to the relationships between the letters and supports preparation for their later writing practice.

This year we exhibited at both the MSA and the MEUK conferences and received very positive responses. We hope to do this again next year and meet more passionate Montessorians and educators. Having worked as a Montessori teacher for many years, I understand the lack of time educators face (when preparing literacy and language materials), as well as the issues that homeschoolers, students and settings have in sourcing phonics objects and literacy materials (we are a niche!).

My aim is to offer a unique, efficient and informed service, supplying high quality literacy materials internationally - and always with the child in mind. The objects we sell are aesthetically pleasing, child sized and realistic and our materials are durable, illustrated with hand painted pictures and printed using the child friendly 'Sassoon' font. We have our boxes specially made for us and I make all word cards and strips by hand - which I find a very therapeutic process!

Do you ship international?

Absolutely! We currently can ship everywhere, except for (regrettably) the USA and Canada.

Your products are used in Montessori schools and homeschools. Can you help parents with little ones at home starting out with Montessori language materials?

Yes, we sell to many different individuals! Our complete pink set is a great option for schools and homeschoolers who are starting out and for children who already have a knowledge of the phonic sounds of the alphabet. Through working with boxes 1-5 - the child will move from a concrete experience of reading and writing (using the moveable alphabet, which allows the child to 'write' without using a pen) to an abstract experience (by eventually reading the printed word cards) and will become exposed to new vocabulary and become a confident and able reader. I love to hear from our customers and can offer advice to both first time settings as well as to home schooling parents (and others of course!) who would like a more in depth run through or individualised advice that is focused on their child's developmental stage and current interests.

You also make bespoke products, can you tell us a little about this process?

I'd love to! Because all the strips and word cards are made by hand, I'm able to offer customers the option of choosing specific words that are specific to their individual needs and the current stage that their child/ren are at. Settings that already have existing objects are able to order for example laminated work cards on the coloured paper of their choice, in whichever size and font they would prefer - perhaps to match existing materials. Our main range is listed on our website, so for those that would like to make a bespoke order, please do pop me an email - I'd be very happy to hear from you. Montessori students who would like to make their own materials have the option to buy our picture stamps and printed words to make themselves and all our objects, sets and cards can all be purchased separately, so that customers are able to 'pick and choose' whichever materials they require.

..............

Thank you to Emma for sharing a little about herself and her store! This post is sponsored by Montessori Enterprises. I know language materials can be hard to source so I hope you find this post useful! You can stay in touch with Montessori Enterprises (and get a few language ideas) on their website and also on Instagram!

My children do a lot of cooking and baking at home. They are not mini master chefs but learning to make really basic foods, developing an essential life skill in a fun and enjoyable way. Learning to read a recipe is a really important part of this.

Otis (6ys) is a beginner reader and needs help with new recipes. Here are a few ways we've been helping, slowly building his confidence and giving him the skills he needs to successfully approach a recipe.

Recipe Selection: Selecting an appropriate recipe is really important. We love, love, love, children's cookbooks but also find good recipes online. I often search 'simple ... cookies' or 'simple ... cake'. Determine how difficult the recipe is, is the child going to need help and how much? Do you have all the ingredients and can the child use all the equipment needed?

Ask yourself can the recipe be simplified, can the recipe be re-written, or drawn as a pictorial recipe so it's easier for the child to understand? Don't worry about messy handwriting or silly drawings, it's likely your child would enjoy a personalized recipe! Sometimes re-typing a recipe can help, in a larger font and with larger spaces in between lines.

Read the recipe with the child first, from start to finish.

Highlight or circle any parts the child is going to need help with.

Talk the child through any parts they don't understand. Many authors use different terms, sometimes food has different names, explain these to the child, so they will understand next time.

Note how long is it going to take to make, including preparation time, marinating or resting time (like with some cookie dough or bread). Discuss if you have enough time to make it.

Note serving sizes, will it make enough if you have guests coming?

Get out everything the child needs. Spoons, measuring cups, bowls, preheat the oven if needed. For younger children, you could put out all the ingredients pre-measured and ready to go.

Have the child start on the recipe and see how they go - in other words, observe your child. If you have printed the recipe the child could cross off each step or each ingredient as it is added. I have previously laminated recipes so the child can cross off each step as they go with a marker.

Supervise but don't hover. Be there if needed but unless there is a safety issue only step in when asked. Empower the child and give them confidence. Be there if the child needs help with the recipe with no fuss.

Make note if there are any areas the child struggles with, remember for next time. Remember and keep any recipes that are particularly fun or successful!

Once you and the child are comfortable with a few recipes, how about trying to write your own recipe? This is especially useful if you have discussed previous recipes and have recommended changes. We have made chocolate (cacao) cookies before that Otis has noted are "too chocolatey". So we've reduced the amount of cacao added and made note/re-written the recipe for next time. Give the recipe a new and fun name or name favourite recipes after the child.

I want to encourage all parents and caregivers to not only cook but to empower their children in the kitchen! If you can't find a good recipe to start with or don't want to buy lots of ingredients, there is no harm in sometimes using cake, or baking mixes. I want my children to be able to bake from scratch and to know what exactly is in their foods, but I also want baking to be convenient, fun and tasty. Otis loves the Green's Classic Chocolate Cake mix, he still needs to read the recipe, measure and add the butter and eggs - a good level of skills required for his age!

These are not traditional Montessori materials but are all suitable for a Montessori home! These materials have lots of colour and texture for the child to explore!

Pikler Climbing Set - This is a large climbing set however individual pieces are also available. Perfect for the infant who needs to climb, possibly before they are even walking! I've seen these in so many Montessori homes, they are on my wish list!

Sensory Grasping Beads - So similar to the Montessori grasping beads but with the texture of crochet and lots of colour!

Large Playmat - This store has the sweetest playmats! Perfect for a movement area, next to a wall mirror or for under a Montessori mobile.

Crochet Veggies - This store has our favourite crochet eggs too, a wonderful texture for the child to explore with their hands, put them in a sensory or treasure basket.

Rainbow Blanket/Playmat - On my wish list. Playmats or a soft movement area are essential for a Montessori baby, a folded blanket or rug does nicely, not too hard not too soft. I've loving the colours on this one!

Threading pasta or wooden beads are standard preschooler activities. But what other threading activities are there? Here are a few we've used over the years, from twelve months to four years.

We know that threading is good for concentration, coordination and developing fine motor skills. Activities that strengthen the muscles in the fingers and the hand and have the child use the little pincer grip (when the child uses the index finger and the thumb to pick up and manipulate small objects), help to prepare the hand for writing.

All of the ages listed are very general and are to be used as a guide only. These are the approximate ages my children have attempted the activity but could easily be different for your child.

For most of the sewing type activities, Otis is using a large embroidery needle. These are so worth getting for threading and stitching work, they are easy to use with fabrics like burlap but are not sharp enough to prick or hurt the child (if you are sewing buttons make sure the whole needle will fit through the button holes).

How important is diversity to you? I am constantly reassessing our home environment to ensure it meets our children's needs. I am often concerned about bias - unconscious, perceived or outright that exists within our community and want to ensure they don't find a way into our home.

We know that children have an absorbent mind, they absorb every last detail of their surroundings. The child's environment has a fundamental role in forming the child's awareness and understanding of the world around them. A play environment rich in diversity promotes greater acceptance of different beliefs, languages, family types, appearances, cultures, and lifestyles.

I want my children to be kind, respectful and accepting of all people regardless of differences. For them to know they can become anything, do anything regardless of their background, beliefs or gender. I want representation, inclusiveness, and equality in my children's toys, books, and materials.

I am looking at the diversity in my children's:

Toys - dolls, action figures, people figures - we don't have a lot of these but you can see reader suggestions here.

Children with complex health concerns such as cancer, terminal illnesses and those undergoing treatment.

Culture and Religion.

Homeless or without stable accommodation.

Refugees and new immigrants.

Sometimes we do well and other times I feel disappointed with our options. We find the most diversity exists within our books and podcasts, and possibly the least amount of diversity in our children's videos and movies.

We often find books that discuss difficult and complex topics in an age appropriate way. Culturally and ethnically diverse books can be introduced from birth.

I strongly believe that as parents, we are wholly responsible for the child's environment, while we follow the child we ensure the environment is safe including no inappropriate, emotionally or physically damaging toys. To go one step further this environment needs to be not only supportive of diversity but celebrates and promotes diversity.

We need to teach our children that people look and behave differently. That different doesn't equate to bad or wrong, less able, less smart, less capable or less likely to be a friend. Teach all kinds of different. Be open to discussing differences. Toys and materials are just the start. Being a good role model is perhaps the best thing we can do for our children.

This is a learning process for our family, please feel free to share how you promote diversity in your home or school or how you would encourage others to do the same.

A few months ago I was approached to try the My Little Sous-Chef cookbook! It was written and developed by three Italian mothers living in the UK. My Little Sous-Chef is a tandem cookbook for children and parents to use together and was inspired by the Montessori Method. I absolutely love children's cookbooks and this one is no exception!

The idea is that there are two cookbooks, one for the child to use and one for the adult to use. The adult book has the quantities and more detail. The children's book has charming illustrated directions.

We use a digital copy and rather than print the entire book I've printed out each recipe as we've used it. Here Otis is making the Biscuits! It's a very hands-on recipe and a wonderful sensory experience!

The book definitely has an Italian influence, and all the recipes are simple and doable. There is a good range of recipes to try out, you won't get bored! The Biscuit recipe came together really easily. We added a little more flour to get the dough to this lovely consistency. It is perfect for little ones as the dough really holds it's shape with the cookie cutters.

Over a year ago I came across Artventure, online art classes for children. Otis (then 4-5 yrs) loved it straight away. While we do a lot of open ended free art at home it's fantastic for the children to be able to independently choose a lesson and learn some really important art skills. The lessons are aimed at primary school aged children however many are well suited to preschoolers too!

Each lesson is presented via a short 8-12 minute video. We simply put one of the laptops on the art table and let the boys go for it. The videos are very clear and you or the child need to pause at specified intervals. You really can't go wrong!

Besides some type of electronic device to watch the lesson all you need is paper, paint, and crayons or oil pastels. Each lesson is rated from one to five in difficulty so it's easy to find a lesson suited to your child's skill level. There is so much variety I am sure each child will find lots of lessons they will enjoy! Otis has been drawing guinea pigs at school so as soon as he saw it he wanted to try the guinea pig lesson.

In addition to art lessons for the younger children, there are lessons for older children too, have a look at this one with the vanishing point or this one with depth and perspective. I honestly do not have the skills or knowledge to teach my children these techniques so I am thrilled to be able to put on a lesson and have the children work on them at home at their own pace.

The lessons really help to take the child's art to the next level. It shows the child step by step what they are capable of and gives them lots of new skills they can use in the future. It gives the children confidence to try new techniques!

Are you ready for a fantastic discount code? You can receive 50% off your subscription by using the discount code HWM2017 here at Artventure!! Artventure also offers free trials if you want to give it a try before committing.

You can also follow Artventure on Facebook and Instagram. Thank you to Kirsty for putting together such a wonderful resource!

Do your children enjoy helping with the washing? Why not give them a few small items and their own little washing station? Today I'm sharing some ideas on creating Montessori style washing (laundry) areas.

We have and use three different types of child size clotheslines (including #1 and #2), they are so useful. We use one for hanging art and paintings to dry. I've just ordered a little clothesline (#2) as a birthday gift for my three-year-old nephew. I also love the idea of using the Japanese wash basin (#4), it's a really compact option!

Today I gave Otis a lesson on ironing. It was a lot of fun and something completely new to him (perhaps a novelty!).

We started with a small child-sized (travel) iron. I put it on medium heat. Low heat wasn't hot enough to remove the wrinkles. We also used a lovely fabric spray and a small table-top ironing board. It is really important that Otis is standing on the ground, he needs to be stable and balanced so that he can concentrate on his work (many ironing boards will go down to the child's level). I taught Caspar to iron with a standard size iron and it's definitely easier for the child to use and control the smaller iron.

He started by ironing some square cloth napkins. It would be easier to start with some small child size napkins and also have the child fold them neatly.

Then later he moved onto ironing some of his own shirts and pants. He did a pretty good job and it made me realise how many steps there are in ironing.

I am sure many parents wouldn't consider showing their children how to iron but along with cooking and lots of practical life experiences, it's a fabulous life skill to have! I don't iron very much (my husband irons a lot) but I consider it to be an essential skill, something we all need to know how to do.

There is also something about introducing activities with a slight element of risk (cooking with heat/skillet, chopping with a real knife) that really gives the child a sense of empowerment, accomplishment, and achievement - like they are extra proud of what they can do! My boys' classrooms haven't ever offered ironing but I love it when I see a classroom with a little iron and ironing board set up! What do you think - would you teach your children to iron?

I find myself procrastinating rather than working on finishing our Montessori nursery. It's more difficult this time as we know we will be moving once the baby is three to four months old. So I'm not only looking for fresh ideas and inspiration but I'm also trying to find some motivation. Here are a few Montessori infant spaces that I've been enjoying!

A lot of people don't fix the mirror to the wall, if the baby isn't moving I guess there is no need. This room has a few simple materials and lots of space for the child to work comfortably on the floor - a nice big movement area.

"It can be easy to over-complicate the Montessori philosophy. Trusting that the core of Montessori is simplicity & order is the key to unlocking the prepared environment and creating a space that allows for optimal development." This is what I need to hear! This account is by a Montessori consultant for 0-3 years!

This is just so soft and welcoming!

Loving the simplicity and order. No need to overfill those shelves.

This is a gorgeous Montessori bedroom in Brisbane (Australia)! Looking so comfortable and cozy.

This room is by a former Montessori teacher. I love to see how teachers create Montessori environments at home! Love the wall colour and the black and white artwork. That's a topponcino you can see on the little floor bed.

Taking a close look at the materials on these shelves and the low handing art work!

Large movement area with mirrors and a pull up bar. It's the colour and art work that sets this room apart!

I believe it's good for children to feel bored. Children should have lots of free, unstructured time. They need space (mental and physical) to breathe, to relax, to daydream and to be themselves - free from judgment. However, there are times when I want to do something with my children, particularly Otis and I don't have any ideas. Caspar has been on camp so Otis and I have been spending a lot of time together. We have made a list of all the things we could do that require very few materials or materials commonly found in our home! These are all activities that we would like to do together and could easily be done with a much younger child.

I am frequently asked where we found our wooden infant shelves. Our shelves were handmade many years ago and the store no longer stocks them. I have seen similar shelves on Etsy but couldn't find any currently available. Above I have shown some that are similar in dimensions or that would fill the role suitably.

I prefer natural timber and always look for local and sustainably sourced timber where possible. But I know price is important too.

For an infant's environment I look for single shelves, these are really simple and don't over-complicate the space, will hold the materials the infant needs (not too many) and they can be used for the young child to pull themselves up on to standing.

Yesterday I wrote about some of my favorite illustrators and prints, today I am sharing some tips on how to hang that artwork in a young child's environment. Here are some of my tips and what has worked for us.

Hang artwork within the child's line of sight. For an infant's room I would put some artwork that is easily removable (possibly black and white/high contrast) at their level (lying down or for tummy time) but also some artwork that they will be able to look up and see when they are sitting or even standing. I would not put artwork higher than the child could see when they pull to stand, at or around nine to twelve months. This applies to their room, which belongs to them. Imagine how frustrating it would be to know there is beautiful artwork hanging on your wall and getting glimpses but not being able to see it clearly.

Artwork has many purposes to keep in mind:

To beautify the environment.

To create a sense of calm.

To personalize a space.

Can assist with visual perception.

Can assist with vocabulary, as the child points and begins to name things in their environment.

To express love, when we love a child we create an environment for the child, that is developmentally and culturally appropriate.

When the images are life-like or of known objects they can assist the child learn about the world around them.

Look for beautiful and inexpensive artwork, consider:

Artwork from siblings, family, and friends.

Pages from magazines (think National Geographic), calendars or old books.

Before the child can crawl, artwork can be attached to the wall with some simple blutac or something removable, however, once the child can crawl and is able to pull the artwork off the wall you want it more firmly attached. It's a good idea to have the artwork firmly attached before the child can reach it, once the child has learned the artwork will come off the wall they may keep on trying to remove it, it's best not to get to that stage.

The child's room needs to be 100% child safe, especially if you are using a floor bed. I have avoided using glass in the frames. Our local framer will cut perspex to size (to put in the frame) and I've ordered frames online that come with perspex as an option, which are also much lighter. Alternatively remove the glass from the frame completely. If you need to strengthen the image or want the child to be able to touch it, the image could be laminated prior to going into the frame. I have seen many images laminated and put on children's walls without framing, which works and can look really simple and beautiful. Some flashcards and the Bits of Intelligence Cards that we love, are a thick coated card, these can easily go into a frame without glass. I am also thinking of getting some of our artwork block mounted for our new Montessori nursery, I've done this previously with one of the boy's posters and it came out fantastic. Once block mounted the image could go directly on the wall, it removes the distraction of the frame and looks more streamlined!

I've never had a problem with my two children removing the images from the wall. I don't know if this is because they never found out they could come off the wall or if they never tried! For all of our images I have used the 3M Command Velcro Strips. They are removable and have worked really well for us. I use a lot of them to make sure the image and frame are really secure. In this beautiful Montessori nursery Meg notes that she has screwed the frames to the wall, which is a good option if you are happy to repair the wall afterwards.

Above Otis is 7 months old, he can see the artwork and it gives him an incentive to move towards his shelves to start pulling up, when he eventually does come to standing, he is directly in front of and can clearly see and focus on the artwork.

Beautiful and simple environment above with low hanging artwork at Three Oaks Blog. You can see how much the artwork contributes to this space! Michael Olaf (US) supplies frames (similar to that above) designed specifically for low hanging artwork in Montessori environments.

I've been looking for some fresh and inexpensive prints for our Montessori nursery. I love having low hanging prints for the young child to be able to look at and focus on.

Artwork by siblings, cards or postcards, photographs, images from calendars or even old books are all inexpensive ideas. One of my favourite framed prints (which is currently in the nursery) is a small painted farm scene I found at a garage sale. Small prints can be used around the child's work areas including in the care of self or dressing area, above work/low shelves, near the weaning or snack table, in their kitchen areas! Today I'm sharing some fresh ideas I've found from some of my favourite illustrators.

1. Phoebe Wahl - Neighborhood Print (above) - Phoebe's artwork is so whimsical and comforting. I also really love this kitchen scene. It's so sweet!2. Prints by Nikki McClure. Nikki McClure is an amazing paper cut artist. Last night I ordered some of her notecards which I hope to arrange collage style on the wall. I like the boldness and the contrast that will be appealing to the infant's eye. I also love her book Apple which we have in our book basket.

3. Sarah Laidlaw's work is gorgeous! We have a set of her cards and they are so lovely. I've often used the rainbow print (above top left) in a frame. Perhaps better known in the Waldorf (Steiner) community her paintings are dreamy and warm! Her artwork is affordable and comes in a range of posters and cards.

5. Bits of Intelligence Cards. There are 41 sets in this series. The Natural History Cards are my favourite, we have the insect sets which are what you can see in this post here. The objects are illustrated in detail on a white background and there is a list of facts on the reverse side. I love the impact these make in a child's space!

Do you have any favourite illustrators? If you are interested in artwork or posters perhaps for older children I have listed some of my favourite educational prints here.